Tracking gets messy during the game
Re-buys happen mid-conversation, chips move fast, and paper notes drift out of date.
Case study
Pokerbook.
A mobile-first poker session tracker for casual home games.
Track buy-ins, settle the math, and share the final results with the group.
Product, Design, BuildNext.jsSupabasePWALive Product
The Problem
Poker nights are fun. Settlements are not.
Tracking, payouts, and group sharing usually happen across notes, calculators, and WhatsApp.
Settlement math becomes annoying
Hosts are left turning cash-outs into balances while everyone is ready to leave.
Results are hard to share cleanly
Final numbers usually end up as screenshots, partial notes, or a long chat explanation.
Target User
Built for the poker host
Designed for the person managing the table, tracking buy-ins, and settling the night.
01
Start fast
User need
Add players quickly
Pokerbook response
Create a session and add players without account setup.
02
Track live activity
User need
Track buy-ins and cash-outs
Pokerbook response
Record changes as the game evolves.
03
Settle clearly
User need
Settle balances
Pokerbook response
Convert final stacks into clear amounts owed.
04
Share the result
User need
Share results
Pokerbook response
Send a clean summary back to the group.
05
Use at the table
User need
Use it during live games
Pokerbook response
Mobile-first PWA for quick in-game updates.
Core Flow
From table setup to group share
A lightweight session flow designed for live games, fast updates, and clear final outcomes.
Step 1
Game Setup
Step 2
Live Tracking
Step 3
Cash Out
Step 4
Settlement
Step 5
Share
Product Decisions
What shaped the experience
Four decisions that made the product simpler, more usable, and more native to poker groups.
Decision 01
Lightweight session creation
Start with a host, buy-in value, and players. No account wall before the game.
Decision 02
Settlement as the core value
The product earns trust when it turns noisy table activity into clear balances.
Decision 03
WhatsApp-native sharing
The final artifact is built for the chat where the group already coordinates.
Decision 04
Felt Night visual redesign
Warm felt, clean ledgers, and high-contrast actions make the app feel game-night native.
Metrics
What I'd measure
A simple product health framework across activation, setup depth, core value, distribution, and retention.
01
ActivationSession creation completion rate
Why it matters
Shows whether hosts can start a game without friction.
02
Setup depthPlayers added per session
Why it matters
Measures whether the app supports real group usage.
03
Core valueSettlement completion rate
Why it matters
Shows whether users reach the main payoff moment.
04
DistributionWhatsApp share rate
Why it matters
Measures whether results are useful enough to share.
05
RetentionRepeat host usage
Why it matters
Shows whether hosts come back for future games.
Tradeoffs
What I intentionally did not build
The MVP stays focused on solving one workflow well.
No login-first experience
Reduced setup friction for casual games, with identity deferred until there is repeat value.
No tournament mode in MVP
Cash games were the clearest wedge because settlement pain is immediate and frequent.
No social feed or community layer
Kept attention on the table workflow instead of adding another place to maintain presence.
What's Next
Where Pokerbook could go next
The next layer is about memory, smarter settlements, and repeat group behavior.
Now
Cash-game session tracking and settlement
Reliable buy-ins, cash-outs, balances, and a shareable end state.
Next
Group memory and saved players
Help repeat hosts restart the same group without rebuilding the table.
Later
Smarter settlement optimization, host dashboard, auth-lite experience
Move from a single-night tool into a durable group ledger.
Try it